Sifter.



F. J. MOHR.

SIPTER.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 9, 1910;

1,055,484, Patented Mar. 11, 1913.

COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH cm, WASHINGTON. n. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK J. MOI-IR, 0F PEORIA, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE FIRM 0F STUBER'G; KUCK,

. 0F PEORIA, ILLINOIS.

SIFTER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 11, 1913.

Application filed March 9, 1910. Serial No. 548,129.

T 0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, FRANK J. MoHR, a citizen of the United States residlng at Peoria, in the county of Peoria and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sifters; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention pertains to improvements in sitters and relates more particularly to a tator without the aid of soldermerely employing the parts forming the said support.

Another object is to provide a new and improved means of detachably securing the agitator wires to the sifter-shaft without the use of threaded parts or extra fastening devices and at the same time construct the members so that they can be readily and easily assembled without the likelihood of becoming separated.

Though my sifter is susceptible of various modifications I have shown herein certain preferred structures.

In the appended drawing :Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of a sitter through its handle. Fig. 2 shows the shaft of my improved sifter. Fig. 3 shOWs the agitator in perspective. Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the agitator and shaft. Fig. 5 is an elevation of parts of the agitator. Fig. 6 is a transverse section of one of the disk members shown in Fig. 3. Fig. 7 is a modified form of fastening for the wire of the agitator shown on a much reduced scale, and Fig. 8 is a cross section of a portion of the same much enlarged.

A is the body of the sifter and B the usual sieve fixed therein. C is the hollow handle attached to the body in any one of the usual ways. Secured in said handle .or formed therewith is a hollow conical member D with its point or apex lying adjacentwires.

to the wall of the sifter-body for the purpose to be described hereinafter.

E indicates the several agitator-wires or arms whose ends are secured in disks of substantially the form shown in the drawing. Each ofthese disks consists of a stamping of metal F in the form of a cup (Fig. 5) in whose wall are several notches or openings corresponding in number and position to the number and location of the agitator The ends of said wires lie within the notches or openings and all may terminate near the center of the disk, for instance, as indicated by broken lines in Fig. 3. A disk or plate G is then placed within the member F upon these ends and by suitable dies the walls of the members are bent inward and down upon the disk G as indicated in Figs. 3 and 6 and said dies at the same time produce a circular depression at H, upon the face of the plate G, as shown, which extends to the said wires and the member F, but said depression however may onlycross those portions of the disk and member where the ends of the agitator wires or arms lie and in such a way, as to secure said wires or arms in position. The purpose of the depression is to form a bend in the ends of the said wires or arms and in the parts of the disk contiguous thereto so that all of them are interlocked in a very substantial manner whereby the wires or arms will be as firmly held as though riv-' eted or soldered in place, it being evident that as viewed in Fig. 6 the wire or arm E when bent as shown cannot be withdrawn from between the disk portions since all the parts are practically locked together. But evidently other equivalent structures and ways may be devised such as will accomplish the desired end.

For the purpose of making a very strong device for receiving the hole through which the shaft is to be inserted the said plate G is used as a reinforcement although the mem ber F may be made from a very heavy gage of metal for thispurpose.

In Figs. 7 and 8 a modification of the connected disk and wires is shown. The disk is denoted at a and at several places it is provided with parallel slits 0 to form strips b which when raised constitute loops beneath each of'which one of the agitator wires can tion L, lying nearest the handle, to substanbe pushed; the said loops Z) being afterward forced down to substantially their original places and substantially flush with the surface of the disk. This operation, through the use of suitable dies, places a bend in each wire, as before, by which their witndrawal is absolutely prevented.

The shaft K of the agitator is shown in perspective in Fig. 2. One end is flattened as at L and it is also flattened at a point some distance from that end as at L; the distance from the end of said flattened portially the middle of the other flattened portion I, being substantially equal to the distance between the disks of the agitator when at their normal positions of separation. Said flattened portions as shown in the figures may lie in the same plane with one another or in other positions relatively as may be understood presently. A hole M is made in one of the disks to receive the shaft, the said disk being notched at N at substantially diametrically opposite sides of said hole so as to form a slot-hole through which said shaft and its flattened portions can pass. The opposite disk is provided with a slot 0 which in the present instance lies substantially at right angles to the longest diameter of the slot-hole M N.

The shape of the slot 0 is not important so long as it is irregular in form that is to say it must be of such a shape that the shaft having a corresponding form, will be prevented from turning within it. i The flat end of the shaft in the present instance substantially fits the slot, and the slot-hole M N is of a form that will permit the shaft and its flattened portion to slip through it.

The wall of the sifter-body A, within the handle, is provided with the usual hole P which lies opposite the apex of the conical member D hereinbefore described, and the usual hole is also provided at Q in the outer end of the handle through which the shaft can be inserted.

In assembling the parts the agitator is placed within the body and the shaft is inserted at the hole Q in said handle and in meeting the cone D is guided through the hole P into the body. The agitator having been placed in position the shaft is inserted in the hole M N. Having been entered, said shaft is now pushed entirely through t e agitator until the flattened portion L will also pass through the hole; the free end of the shaft having meanwhile been directed between the wires E and beyond the disk J. After said portion L has been carried through said hole M N the shaft is turned to such an extent that said portion L will lie across the shortest diameter of said hole. The fingers of one hand then grasp the disk having the hole 0 and that member is drawn outward or in a direction to increase the distance between it and the disk having the hole M N. During this action the last named disk rests against the shoulder formed by the flattened portion L and, of course, can move no farther. The disk having the hole 0 is permitted to move, however due to the flexibility of the wires or arms E (see dotted lines in Fig. 4) and can be carried outward as far as desired. When this has moved beyond the end of the shaft that member is swung into the axis of revolution of the agitator or so that its flattened port-ion L will be opposite the hole 0. The wires on being permitted to retract will move the disk back to its original position and its hole 0 will receive the end of the said flattened portion L. The sifter is now assembled.

It is to be observed that the flattened portion L at this time does not lie within the slot hole M N but lies between the disks and against the side of that disk lying farthest from the handle C, and the plane of said portion lies substantially at right angles to the longest diameter of said hole so that when the shaft-end at L is in its slot 0 the portion L cannot enter said slot-hole M N 4 plane in which that of the others lie in order that, as stated, the shaft and agitator will not become separated, manual effort being required to accomplish their separation,

or, in the absence of this condition that the plane of the flattened portions lie at an angle to one another. Since the distance between the disks of the agitator is much less than the distance between the end of theshaft and that end of the flattened portion L nearest the handle C, the agitator must be sprung or elongated as has been explained, before the shaft can be liberated.

By my structure, or its equivalent the com I monly used nut and threaded shaft are eliminated and contrary to other devices it is impossible for the parts of my sifter to become separated. The inside diameter of the sifter-body is somewhat greater than the 5 diameter of the agitator at its axis of rotation so that there is ample space in which the said disks may be separated for the assembling and disassembling operation.

Preferably the longest diameter of the holes 5 O and M N lie substantially at right angles to one another in order that the two flattened places in the shaft can be more easily provided but evidently the holes could be parallel to one another with the flattened portions of the shaft lying at right angles to each other or even other angles. Furthermore, the slots and the portlons at L and L may be of any form of cross section so long as the desired object can be realized.

Having thus described my invention, I claim 1. In combination with the rotating wires of a sifter-agitator, of means at one end of said agitator to carry the wires thereof at that end, comprising two parts having the wires clamped between them, the parts and said wires having corresponding bends, said parts and wires interengaging at said bends, and means to carry the opposite ends of the wires.

2. The combination with the wires of a sitter-agitator, of a member to receive the wires of one end of said agitator, a second member overlying the first and the wires, the said first member having a marginal portion to overlie the second and extending bet-ween the wires, the said first member and the wires being bent to prevent the withdrawal of the latter, and means to secure the opposite ends of the wires of said agitator.

3. The combination with the rotating wires of an agitator of a sitter, of a member upon which the wires at one end are adapted to lie, a part to overlie and hold the wires and the said member, the member and the wires and said part, all being provided with corresponding bends and all of the portions interlocking and preventing the withdrawal of the said wires.

4. An agitator for a sitter comprising its sitting arms, and a pair of members to receive and hold the ends thereof, said arms and said members being bent to interlock, the bends extending transversely of said arms.

5. The combination with one of the sitting-arms and a shaft of a sitter-agitator, of a pair of members carried by the shaft, and overlying one another and inclosing the said arm between them, one of said members and the wire or arm having a bend formed therein the bend of one seating in that of the other, one of the members having a part engaging the first and adapted to secure all of the described parts in rigid relation 6. The combination with the rotating wires of an agitator, of means to receive the wires at one end, and adapted for rotation and including two parts between which said wires are held, the said parts and the wires being provided with interlocking bent portions the bends extending transversely of the wires.

7. An agitator for a sitter comprising its sifting-arms, two members to receive and inclose the ends thereof, one of the members having its edge turned over upon the other, and interengaging portions formed in the arms and the members.

8. The combination with the wires of an agitator, of a member to receive the wires at one end, and having recurved marginal portions, and a member overlying the wires and having the said marginal portions bent down upon it, the Wires and one of the members being provided with corresponding bends to interlock.

9. A sitter agitator comprising its sifting-arms, a pair of members constituting the ends of said agitator and inclos'ing the ends of the arms, both the members of each pair and the arms having corresponding interengaging extensions formed therein, one of the members of each pair having an extension adapted to overlie the outer side of the other member of the pair to clamp all the parts in rigid relation.

10. The combination with the opposite ends of the wires of an agitator, of a pair of members at each end of the agitator,-each pair clamping the wires at one end between its parts, one of the members of each pair having a peripheral extension, and overlying the other member of the pair, the ends of the wires and the members having provision each for interlocking.

11. An agitator for a sitter comprising its sifting-arms, a member associated therewith, a second member lying upon the arm, the first said member having an extension to overlie the second, the arms and the members having interengaging portions formed therein for holding all the parts in rigid relation, said portion extending transversely of said wires or arms.

12. An agitator for a sitter comprising its sifting-arms, a member upon which the ends of the wires or arms lie, a second member lying upon the same, the first said member having an extension to overlie the second,

the arms and the member and the extension of the first said member having interengaging portions formed in all of them to hold all the parts in rigid relation.

13. In a sitter agitator the combination of its sifting arms, means at each end of the agitator to secure the ends of the several wires or arms relatively each said means having an opening through it, the openings being irregular in form, their greatest diameters lying in lines extending substantially at right angles to one another, and a shaft to carry and rotate the arms, adapted to slidably enter the said openings, and provided with portions to substantially correspond in form to the said openings, one of the portions lying inside the agitator between the two described means when the parts are assembled.

14. In a sitter agitator, the combination of its sifting-arms, means at each end of the agitator to carry and to secure the ends of the several wires or arms relatively, each said means having an opening irregular in form, a shaft to carry and rotate the said means and extending through both of them, the same being in irregular form for a part of its length, said part being located between the two described means and adjacent to one of them, the greatest diameter of the shaft lying in a plane at an angle to the plane in which the greatest diameter of the opening lies to which it is adjacent, one end of the shaft being likewise irregular in form and adapted to seat in the opening of the other means.

15. The combination with the sifting-arms of a Sifter-agitator having a member at each of two opposite sides thereof to connect the ends of said arms, of an agitator-shaft having at the position of each member a portion larger in diameter than the shaft, the distance between the portions being substantially equal to the distance between the members, said members each having a hole to admit one of the portions of the shaft, the shaft portion and said member adapted to interlock whereby to prevent them from becoming separated and from turning rela tively.

16. The combination with the sifting-arms of a sifteragitator and a member at each of two opposite sides to connect and carry the ends of the arms, of a shaft provided with an oblong portion at its end, and provided also with an oblong portion inward from said end, one of said members having provision to admit one of the portions, both adapted to interlock, the other member also having provision for permitting the other portion to pass through it, said portion when turned relative to the member being prevented from disengaging it while the first described member and portion are in engagement.

17. The combination with the siftingarms of a Sifter-agitator having a member at each of two opposite sides to connect and carry the ends of the said arms, of a shaft provided with oblong portions, one of said portions lying at the end of the shaft, one of the members having provision to receive and contain one of the portions, the other having provision to permit both the portions to pass through it, one of said portions lying between the members and sub stantially at right angles to the position at which it was entered, the shaft and agitator being held rigid relatively when assembled.

18. The combination with the arms o-fa Sifter-agitator having a member at each of two opposite sides to connect and carry the ends of said arms, of a shaft provided with oblong portions, there being a hole in each member corresponding substantially to the form of the oblong portions, one of said portions lying in one of the holes when assembled, the other portion being slidable through the other hole and lying between the two members and against one of them and lying also substantially at rightangles to the longest measurement of the hole of the member against which it lies.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

FRANK J. MOHR.

Witnesses L. M. TI-IURLOW, CI-IAs. B. MoDoUGAL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

